we have a persian/himalian peach point. she has no desire to go outside and has never been outside on her own. i would appreciate your input
2007-02-09 06:34:47 · 24 answers · asked by j.wisdom 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
Wow, this question has been done to death, but here goes again.
I don't declaw my animals. The only one I do have that is declawed is because that's the way I found her. She is as happy as the rest of them though and you wouldn't know she was declawed unless you actually squeezed her paws and found no claws. And she is the most lovable grey ball of fur you'd ever want to have, not a mean bone in her body.
I trim my cats nails. Yes, the scratch things, like my rug, but my rug is berber and can take cat scratching. When they scratch things I don't want them to, I chase them.
I wouldn't declaw simply because for me there is no need to. I trim their nails regularly and the rest of their scratching doesn't really bother me. Nothing gets ruined, so I can worry about more important things.
2007-02-09 06:52:55 · answer #1 · answered by BVC_asst 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
You are so going to get flamed for this post! So many people are against declawing.
I will give you two points as I have gone through both.
My oldest cat, Precious, was basically feral when we adopted her as a very young kitten from a kill shelter. She was very violent, attacked for no reason, tore up everything, sent my husband for stitches a few times, etc. We tried everything with her, including Soft Paws nail caps. She simply took them off. We battled this for 4 long years with her. When I found out that I was pregnant, we knew something had to be done We looked into putting her up for adoption but every place we talked to said that she is not a candidate for it because of her aggression. We couldn't kill her, that would be far more cruel than declawing her. So we opted for declaw. She has laser declaw and you would never even know she had it done. She never acted in pain, was acting completely normal from the time she came home. Since then, believe it or not, she has made a complete turn around. She is a lovey lapcat that lets anyone and everyone pet her.
Then we got my youngest cat, Cody. Due to a traumatic birth which he was born breech, paw first. The paw was sticking out of his Mom for well over 40 minutes until I could pull him out (sister's cat had them), that paw became so swollen and distended that blood was literally coming out of the nails. Everyone thought he'd lose the leg, vet included. Luckily he did not but due to this, he had problems with the nails on all of his paws. Infections, growing weird, etc. Vet suggested decalwing all 4 paws to save him pain from constantly having to have the nails clipped, drained, etc. We did it and was told he'd have the same laser surgery Precious did, he did not. It was awful!! He came home with gaping wounds, bled everywhere, walked funny for 2 days, laid around most of the time. Broke my heart!! Today he's fine and acts no different but just goes to show the difference between the 2 surgeries. His one paw is still twice the size of the other paws but that will never change.
Point is, now you have personal experience with both types of declaw so you can make a more educated decision should you choose that route. Some cats just simply will not stop doing it no matter what unfortunately. You can try Soft Paws and see if he'll keep them on and there is another elective which is where they cut the ligament that attaches to the claw to allow to use the claws. Less invasive and this way the cat has the claws but can't use them. Either way it goes, it's your cat and your decision. You have to choose what is best for you and your situation. Not everyone will know every cat but you will get a bunch of replies going off about declaw.
2007-02-09 07:18:38 · answer #2 · answered by MasLoozinIt76 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your cat can be taught to scratch certain things. There is also a safe alternative called Soft Paws.
If you declaw your cat, sure they won't be able to scratch your couch anymore but declawing brings with it...
A cat with no claws will often resort to biting.
Declawed cats often experience lifetime pain in the feet where claws have been removed.
Declawed cats often begin having litterbox issues because the litter is uncomfortable on their already sore feet.
Declawed cats can become more aggressive, more withdrawn, and less playful.
Sometimes the nails do grow back, and must be removed again as they come back misformed. More pain for your cat.
Cats waking up from a spay or neuter only surgery generally do so in more of a quiet manner than cats that have undergone a declaw surgery. Declawed cats often wake up in a very violent manner.
Declawed cats can never stretch properly again.
Declawing has been banned in many European coutries because it is barbaric and serves no medical purpose.
Cats have claws, cats need to scratch things. These are things people wanting to own cats must accept or they shouldn't own a cat.
2007-02-09 07:16:14 · answer #3 · answered by Bindi *dogtrainingbyjess.com* 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Please don't have your cat declawed.
My friends cat was an indoor cat also, and she had her declawed. Several months ago she escaped out the front door and has been lost since. We'll never know what happened to her, but one thing for sure is she has a slim chance since she has no means of protecting herself.
There are many alternatives to having a cat declawed such as nail caps. I've never tried them before, but I've hear they work. For my own cat however, I just clip her nails once a week. Maybe get your cat a scratching post, spray some cat nip on it, and that should cure her from using any of your furniture.
Hope that helps :)
2007-02-09 07:24:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I would suggest that you avoid that option. Instead, give this a shot: You need 2 things: 1) Learn to clip your cat's claws. It's not that hard, and actually can be a bonding thing between you and your cat. Also, making the cat hold still for this establishes you as the "alpha" cat, (the boss). And it will serve you well later. Your vet will happily show you how to handle this task. 2) A good sisal rope cat scratching post. You can find many great suppliers here on Yahoo! You can also make your own sisal rope scratching post. Once a cat has scratched on this material, (s)he will not want to scratch on other things. It seems to be a very satisfying thing for the little critters. Declawing is quite a radical operation, and there can be complications. Please give your cat a chance to avoid this. There are pros, but they only involve you. The cat gets hosed. Good luck with this, and your cat will thank you for seeking out others' opinions on this matter!
2007-02-09 07:08:34 · answer #5 · answered by smileyeguy 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I had a beautiful white Persian who never went outside. She was already declawed when I adopted her. She was the meanest cat that I have ever had and I have had them for 50 years. I was told by the veterinarian that when you have a cat declawed it realizes that it has no defense against others so it then becomes afraid and attacks with its mouth. Goodness they were born with they claws for a reason. If you do not like the furniture and woodwork ruined try to have other things around that it could scratch on. If that doesn't work try a water pistol. If that fails please give the cat up for adoption because you are not someone who should have the cat if you cannot put up with the work. You and the cat will be much happier that way.
2007-02-09 06:49:05 · answer #6 · answered by Deb 4 · 5⤊ 2⤋
If she has never been outside, I certainly wouldn't push her to go. I feel like there are ONLY pros to a cat staying inside. One, you do not have to worry about her getting in fights. Two, you do not have to worry about her contracting a disease from another animal that she might come into contact with. Three, you do not have to worry about her getting into any poisons. Four, you don't have to worry about her getting hit by a car. Five, you don't have to worry about someone stealing her.........I could go on and on. If this cat had been outdoors and then.........stayed at the door and cried and cried, I might feel a little guilty, but I think that indoor cats stay healthier. It is statistically proven that indoor cats live on an average of 12-16 years, while outdoor cats only live about 4 years.
2007-02-09 09:39:54 · answer #7 · answered by cathy c 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't declaw. Our vet never told us the actual process of what happens when they declaw, he just suggested it as if it were a normal thing. My grandparents have diabetes and my grandpa is on blood thinners so they figured it was a safe, normal procedure from what the vet said. Too bad i didnt look into it until after, about the alternatives because it could have saved their claws and we couldvr just gotten soft paws. But of course the vet just wanted money. Do not declaw, I will NEVER have any of my other kitties declawed. Get the covers, soft paws. At least their fingertips wont be getting cut off.
Just wanted to add, the older they are when they are declawed the more behavior problems they can develop. MY cats were kittens and it was done when they were spayed and they never had any behavior problems (altough i feel terrible about it). Cats who are declawed as older kittens and adults are usually the ones who develop the problems and many will become very tempermental and turn to biting.
2007-02-09 06:50:35 · answer #8 · answered by mushroompumpkin 3 · 5⤊ 2⤋
Pros: NONE when you can just trim the nails.
Cons: Be ready to have a depressed/pissed/Great White Shark cat. Would you mutilate your friend? Go up to your best friend and try to cut his fingers/toes off below the nail. Your friend will probably kick your *** or never talk to you ever again, that is probably how your cat will react.
Like it has been said before, would you like your first knuckle cut off your fingers and toes? Also cats will resort to using their teeth which can be much worse!
Please purchase "Soft Paws" All parties will be happier!
2007-02-09 07:34:26 · answer #9 · answered by MY 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Declawing is a terrible process. Not only do they remove the nails, but the tips of the paws - 'fingers' if you will - as well. There are products such as Soft Paws that go over your cat's claws to prevent clawing-related problems.
Although this process has improved over the years, it is still unnecessary in my eyes. When I get my vet license, I will not do declawing work.
Note: also try www.drsfostersmith.com for a large variety of anti-clawing products, including Soft Paws.
2007-02-09 07:05:28 · answer #10 · answered by Shea 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋